Examines whether young children make explicit references to beliefs, ideas, thoughts, and intentions. Relates that three-year-old children correctly distinguish between real and mental items and that they think and dream about things that are not real. Concludes that conceptual development theories portraying early development as concrete and…

Offers a variety of practical writing ideas that can help first-grade teachers encourage writing across the curriculum. (FL)

Notes that the concept of children's needs is central to rationales for education and attempts to unravel the basis on which children's needs are stipulated. Identifies the bases for stating children's needs as (1) basic qualities of human nature, (2) prerequisites for mental health, (3) processes of cultural adaptation, and (4) conformity with…

Discusses general issues that have shaped research on whether depictions of violence in television and other media significantly influence real-life aggressive behavior. Presents a theoretical framework for understanding media effects on the psychological processes of acquisition, maintenance, and emission of aggression. Outlines contents of this…

Summarizes the benefits of early childhood education programs offering new hope to disadvantaged children and long-range savings to taxpayers. Reviews major issues concerning public preschool education, including funding, eligibility, need for high quality programs with a child development emphasis, adequate staffing, and appropriate child and…

Argues that while many publishers may simplify the sentence structure in the basal reader to facilitate the process of learning to read, this practice may result in texts with stylistic features and text formats that are unnatural and uncharacteristic of written English or the language development level of the children. (FL)

Demonstrates how home economics teachers can incorporate writing into daily lesson plans. Steps in the writing process (rehearsing, drafting, revising) are discussed and examples are presented for clothing, consumerism, parenting, nutrition, interior design, substance abuse, foods, time management, child development, and home economics. (CT)

The articles collected in this issue represent the range of work being done and the questions being addressed by education researchers in China. Articles are organized by the following categories: general principles of education, child development, teaching methodologies, and innovations in teaching basic skills. (RM)

Compares a junior novel from the United States with one from Nigeria--Bette Greene's "Summer of My German Soldier" with Buchi Emecheta's "The Bride Price." Suggests that their similarity can inspire children from a variety of backgrounds to an awareness and appreciation of different cultures. (MM)

This report describes the psychometric characteristics and related methodology of the 9-month data collection of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences, in collaboration with several…

This book provides practical guidance for parents, teachers, and other early years workers who want to give children a good start in mathematical development. Showing how competent children are as mathematicians from an early age, the book offers an overview of young children's mathematical behaviour at home and in early years settings. This book…

The Research in Practice Series is published four times each year by Early Childhood Australia. The series aims to provide practical, easy to read, up-to-date information and support to a growing national readership of early childhood workers. The books bring together the best information available on wide-ranging topics and are an ideal resource…

This report is intended to provide information to parents and other primary caregivers to help them consider what effects their family media use strategies and practices can have on their young children, and to provide ideas and strategies to help parents and caregivers select and use media resources with their families in developmentally…

Based on the view that art should be a vital component of young childrens experiences, this book examines the High/Scope approach to the visual arts for young children in early care and education settings and highlights an in-depth studio approach to developing art. The book is organized in two parts. Chapters in Part 1 present the High/Scope…

This issue of the quarterly newsletter, "PLAINTalk," is the first in a four part series, reprinting chapters from Sharon and Craig Ramey's book, "Going to School." This issue presents practical and useful techniques for parents, covering the following topics: (1) How Parents Can Help Children Learn; (2) How Does Your Child's Brain Work; (3) The…